Genealogy
A Google search using the word “genealogy” will return more than 35,600,000 links. That’s 9.6 million more links than just 2 years ago. Genealogy is one of the fastest growing activities in America. Did you say that you couldn’t find anything about your ancestor on the internet yesterday? Well, that was yesterday. You can find new websites and new techniques almost every day. That elusive ancestor may just be a click away. Here are some very basic genealogical tips to get you started followed by a list of websites that might help you in your quest.
Generations 1 to 3
Most people know a great deal about, but seldom document, the first three generations of their ancestry: themselves, their parents, and their grandparents. Can you prove when and where you were born and who your parents are? Can you do the same for your grandparents? That’s exactly what you will have to do to join most Genealogical Societies. So, now is the time to get organized.
For purposes of joining the Sons of the American Revolution or most other societies, the most desirable document for the first three generations are birth certificates. If possible, talk to your parents and grandparents about where and when they were born. They may be able to give you a copy of their birth certificates. If not, you will at least know where and when they were born so that you can request a copy. One of the quickest ways of finding where to request birth and death certificates, often referred to as “Vital Records,” is from the Cindi’s List Website. Here you will find a link to Vital Records for every state in the union and many foreign countries. In some cases you can make your request right on line for a nominal fee as opposed to a long trip. If not, usually there is at least a form you can fill out online and send in with your check. For instance, in Georgia, you can fill out a birth certificate request for yourself, your spouse, your parents and/or grandparents from the Georgia Department of Human Resources and mail it in with a certified check.
Birth certificates are a 20th century concept. Your grandparents may not have a birth certificate. However, they may have what is called a “Delayed Birth Certificate” issued by a court. If they have passed away, there should be a death record. And don’t forget about proof of marriage. Another good document source for the first three generations of your genealogy is Vital Check Express, a one stop shop for birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
Generations 4 to Patriot Ancestor
As you are putting your family genealogy together, keep in mind that you are not just documenting the existence of an individual, but documenting how that individual fits into your family tree. In other words, you want to prove the LINK from one generation to the next. If you do not do that, what you really have is a set of disjointed individual histories that either family lore or a leap of faith claims a relationship.
The documents available to make these links are almost endless. One of the most common documents is a government census. The information available on a census changes from one decade to the next. However, the information to prove a father/mother-to-child relationship is on the US census since 1850. You can use earlier census information to prove when and where a particular head-of-household was residing at the time of the census, how many were in the household and possibly a geographical relationship to other individuals in the area. Census information before 1850 will not stand on its own in proving relationships. However, you can definitely use it to support other primary documents.
There was a time, not too long ago, that you would have to make a trip to a government facility, like the National Archives located in Morrow, Georgia, to acquire census information. If that is a reasonable journey, you can still do that. Today, the same US census, from 1790 to 1930, is available online through such websites as Ancestory.com with a nominal charge that you can easily offset with the savings in time and travel expenses.
Other basic documents you will want to consider are Wills that identify a surviving spouse and children AND Bible Records that often identify the mother and father of a child. You can often request a Will by phone. However, you will most likely make a trip to the locale where your ancestor was born, lived, and/or died. The county courthouse contains a wealth of information beyond the Will and Probate of a Will. After gleaning what you can from the courthouse, check the local church, cemeteries, and library. Many communities proudly tout a local library with a genealogy department. It is in the local library that you will most likely find that book that records some aspect of your ancestor.
You will also want to visit the larger regional and national libraries dedicated to genealogical research. But this webpage is not designed to instruct the reader in all sources of genealogical material. Instead, we hope we have given you some flavor for the genealogical resources that await you. Click on our Genealogist’s Favorites for a Detailed Categorized List of Genealogical Websites. Listed below are some of the more popular and/or well known Genealogy links.
| Membership Information Membership in the Sons of the American Revolution:Membership is available for those descendants who can document that their ancestors fought or aided in the American Revolution. If you are interested in your genealogy, and can meet the criteria of the SAR, take the time to be rewarded by joining the Sons of the American Revolution.SAR Qualification Requirements:Who can Join The SAR? The SAR is a “lineage” society. This means that each member has traced their family tree back to a point of having an ancestor who supported the cause of American Independence during the years 1774-1783.Who are Patriot Ancestors? Qualifying ancestors for SAR membership are men or women who rendered military or civilian service to the Revolutionary Cause between the Battles of Lexington & Concord (April 19, 1775) and the signing of the Treaty of Paris formally ending the War (September 3, 1783). You must be a bloodline descendant from the Patriot Ancestor. “Collateral descendants” (descendants of siblings of the Patriot) or descendants by adoption are not eligible for membership. Full membership is open to males who can document their lineal descent from a Patriot Ancestor. Eligibility: Examples of Military Service include: Descent from the Patriot Ancestor may be through either the mother’s or father’s side of the family. Direct-line descent is not necessary: the line may zigzag through the various generations, where the surname changes. The goal is to document the linkage between each generation. Many men have more than one Revolutionary ancestor. Once you are a member, you are encouraged to submit “supplemental” applications for those additional ancestors: by doing so, you are potentially opening up membership to relatives of yours through that particular line. How much does it cost?
These are typical cost. For additional information and your exact membership cost, please contact: The Marquis de Lafayette, Fayetteville Chapter Registrar |
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